If you’re looking for a fun last minute, super simple activity to do with your students, I’ve got you covered! All you need is a printer, paper, scissors, and something to color with! Click on the link below to download and print off four Valentine bookmarks. Leave them black and white, or color them in!
*Please do not sell or distribute this file. It is intended for only personal or classroom use.*
In continuing with some fun Valentine’s Day themed ideas for the classroom (or home!), I’ve created two different I Spy printables, one in color, and the other in black and white, so you can print whichever version works for you!
Put kids in to teams to find the pictures, have them work independently, or make it a whole class activity. Count each different picture, then add up the numbers to see how many total pictures are on the page. The options are plentiful, and the fun is endless!
Happy Spying!
*Please only use these printables for classroom or home use. Do not sell these files.*
Valentine’s Day is just a couple of weeks away! If you’re looking for a fun, easy Valentine’s Day themed activity for your class to do, I’ve got you covered! Click the boxes below to download a Valentine’s Day Word Scramble and/or a Valentine’s Day Word Search. Check back next week for some more Valentine’s Day fun!
*Please only use for home or classroom use. Do not sell or redistribute these files.*
One of my favorite novels to teach with my eighth grade students was The Giver by Lois Lowry. The novel is rich with themes and ideas that lend themselves to some really good classroom discussions. Because the main character is close in age to junior high students, it provided excellent opportunities for students to make text to self connections and dive deeper into the book and really try to understand what it would be like to live in the society that is portrayed in the novel.
The book is set in a “utopian” society. The people are pleasant and kind. They follow their laws and rules very obediently. The people don’t have memories, don’t see color, and they don’t feel pain, joy, love, sadness, etc. Weather is constant. There aren’t birthdays, and everyone born each year moves up a year (age) all together. They are assigned jobs as they become a 12, and begin training for their new assignment right away. Jonas, the main character, is given the assignment as The Receiver. His job is to receive and hold the memories of the past. It is a heavy responsibility. Through this assignment, Jonas learns just how imperfect his society really is.
Students today are pretty familiar with dystopian novels, as they have recently risen in popularity. So while the genre itself isn’t new to most kids, some of the ideas that are in the novel are, or are at least presented in a new way. This provides a plethora of discussion and thinking points for students to study as they read the novel. Below is a list of some ideas you can use as you teach this novel.
As an anticipatory assignment, have students brainstorm what makes a “perfect” society. What kinds of rules are there? How are jobs chosen/assigned? Is there school? How is healthcare handled? What kind of government is there, and how are leaders chosen?
After they have brainstormed, have students design their own perfect society.
Discuss the importance of names and individuality— the people in the novel are assigned a family unit and are assigned a name and a number.
Talk about color. This is a great chance to do some cross-curricular activities. Learn how the eyes see and process color. Imagine a world where color didn’t exist. Talk about how color can influence the way we perceive things and remember things.
Talk about memory. Have students write about their favorite or important memory in each category: family, friends, school, a time they were sad, and a time they were happy.
Discuss pain. Talk about what life would be like if we didn’t know pain of any kind. Find some quotes that talk about pain and have students write about what each quote means to them.
Talk about how the elderly are cared for in our society vs. in the novel.
If you feel your students are mature enough to handle it, appropriately teach them about euthanasia.
Talk about different kinds of government and the pros and cons of each kind.
Invite students to illustrate or write about a memory of their favorite celebration (holiday or birthday).
Have students write or think about what it would be like to experience a particular type of weather for the first time.
At the end of the novel, ask students to write an additional chapter where Jonas returns to his society and tries to teach friends and family about what he has learned.
Have students reflect on how Jonas’ society is skewed, and to note any similarities and differences they might see between where Jonas lives and where we live.
The Giver is full of so many opportunities to teach, discuss, and ponder the rights and wrongs of society. The topics, for the most part, are things that junior high students deal with or at least have dealt with in their lives. They can relate to Jonas as he navigates learning new things and goes through changes in his life. This novel opens up so many possibilities in a classroom and is a book that is worth reading!
One a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most, how much did you enjoy doing book reports as a student? I’d bet that the majority of people would say they are at a 4 or lower. Traditional book reports are just so… boring. They aren’t fun to students to write, and if I’m being totally honest, I’d bet that most teachers don’t enjoy grading them.
So rather than having your students write a traditional essay style book report, try something new! Students always appreciate when things get jazzed up a bit, and I promise you that alternative book reports are a whole lot more fun to grade. Plus, different kinds of “reports” get students to think about their books in different ways. Rather than just a summary, they get to use more critical and imaginative thinking skills to complete their assignment.
I taught junior high English for a long time, and quickly learned how to change up the boring book report and make it into something fun. Book assignments that feel more like a fun time (but are still assessing learning) rather than a monotonous summary of a book are a sure fire way to get students more engaged and more willing to do the work.
So if you are a teacher who has students complete an assignment based on a book they’ve read, give some of these a try! I have used all but a couple of these ideas myself in my classroom with my students, so I assure you that they are fun and engaging for students!
Book quizzes— three or four short answer questions about their book.
Describe the main character
Use good describing words to “show” what the scenery in the book is like
What was the biggest conflict in the book, and how was it resolved?
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
etc.
Draw a new cover for the book.
Create a playlist of songs that would be the soundtrack to your book. With each song, describe what part of the book you chose that song for and why you chose it. Illustrate an album cover.
Create a comic strip for a scene in your book.
Write a test for your book— include some multiple choice questions, several short answer questions, and an answer key.
Write and illustrate a children’s book version of your book.
Write an interview for one of the characters. Include the character’s answers.
Create a social media profile for one of the characters. Include a profile picture and a couple of posts with pictures and captions.
Rewrite the ending of the book.
ABCs of the book— think of something that has to do with your book for every letter of the alphabet. In 2 sentences, describe how that word ties to the book.
Write a text message exchange between two or more characters discussing something that happened in the book.
Choose one character and write 2-3 journal entries from their point of view.
If there was a certain food that the book mentioned a lot, find a recipe and make it. Bring it to share with the class.
Create a timeline of events that happen in the book.
Hopefully one or more of these ideas will be useful to you. If anything, it’s given you a reason to think about the way you assign book assignments and how you might be able to change things up a bit!
Inauguration Day only comes every four years, so it’s likely that your current students don’t have any memories of the last one because they were too young, or they were old enough to know it was happening, but not old enough to really care too much. Since our next Inauguration Day will be one week from today, I’ve created a word search for you to print off and use with your students. You will find a list of words that have to do with the inauguration, which provides an excellent teaching opportunity as you go over the words and what they mean– and how each word ties to a Presidential Inauguration.
The holidays are over, the excitement has died down, and you still have several days left of winter break. Routines are out of whack, kids are riding on a post-holiday sugar rush, the days are all blending together, and parents are completely and utterly exhausted. Maybe that’s just happening at my house? Just my kids? Hmmm. Well, at any rate, I’m sure there are at least a couple of you out there that understand the winter break blues.
When the days are cold, there’s not any snow to play in, but the backyard is muddy from the rain storm a few days ago, what do you even do with your kids? Here’s a few ideas to try that will hopefully let you regain some of your sanity and provide your kids with something fun to do. Oh, and as a bonus, your kids just might learn something while they play, too!
Color Scavenger Hunt
This activity is great for kids of any age, and can be done while you sit and catch up on laundry, clean the bathroom, cook dinner, or even sit and read a book. Pick a color, then send your kids on a mission to find something in the house that is that color and bring it to show you. The catch? They can’t make a mess, can’t bring you something that is breakable, and must put the object away where it belongs before moving on to the next color. This game is simple, requires no set up, and is easy for all ages. A win-win all around!
Picture Hide and Seek
This does take a little bit of prep work, but I promise it’s worth it and your kids will love it. Print off or draw several small pictures and cut them out individually. Next, create a paper that has the same pictures, or, if your kids can read, write the names of the objects you have printed or drawn. Then, hide the individual pictures around the house. Depending on the ages and abilities of your kids, you can choose how difficult it will be to find the pictures. Give each of your children a copy of the paper that has all of the pictures on it and send them on their way! To make it more challenging, give them a time limit. To make it easier, have them work in teams to find the pictures. There are many ways you can adapt this activity to fit the needs and ages of your children. You can do all themed pictures— sea animals, foods, sports, cartoon characters, etc. Another way to do this activity is to put your older children in charge of drawing and hiding the pictures for their younger siblings. So many fun ways to play!
Click the button below to download and print a copy of the Hide and Seek I created. Print one page to cut up and hide, and one copy for each child that will be participating. If you want to repeat this activity another day, I suggest putting your children’s copies in a sheet protector so that they can be reused. (Please only print and use for personal or classroom use.)
This is similar to the color scavenger hunt, but instead of assigning your kids a color to go find, have them find an object that begins with a letter of your choice. The same rules apply— no messes, no finding something breakable, and everything must be put away before moving on. This is a great activity for older preschoolers or younger elementary aged kids who are learning beginning sounds and letters.
Rhyming Game
Another twist on the color or letter scavenger hunt, this game requires your kids to find something that rhymes with a word that they are given. Say you give them the word “cat”. They must then search the house to try find an object that rhymes with that word— perhaps a hat, a bat, or a mat. This variation is great for younger elementary kids and up who are able to rhyme.
Fortunately, Unfortunately
I wish I could take credit for this game, but I can’t. I saw this idea on Instagram @playfulheartparenting. This is another game that requires absolutely no prep work and can be done while you do just about anything. You start the game by saying, “Unfortunately, …” and fill in the blank with some sort of ridiculously silly situation. Your child then counters back with, “Fortunately, …” and fills in the blank with another silly situation that “fixes” the situation you presented them with. You continue this, countering back and forth, building a silly story together. This gets kids thinking outside the box and gets them to think about how to respond to a funny situation. It might look something like this:
“Unfortunately, I got a flat tire on my way to the dentist.”
“Fortunately, I was almost there and my dentist used his tooth fixing tools to fix my tire.”
“Unfortunately, he didn’t clean his tools after he fixed the tire, and then used them to fix my tooth.”
“Fortunately, I have a super strong immune system and the dirt and germs didn’t make me sick.”
“Unfortunately, though, the tools were black from fixing my tire, so now my teeth are black.”
And so on. You can continue this game for as long as you wish. You can establish ground rules such as no making fun of other people, no naughty or potty words, and nothing about hurting other people or yourself. It is a game that is totally customizable for your family and your needs. It’s fun and gets everyone laughing.
Hopefully these ideas give you something to do over the next few days of winter break. If anything, hopefully they will allow you to slow down and enjoy some time with your kids before you send them back to their teachers!